Magnetic coin tester



y 1, 1969 w. M. STEWART 3,452,849

MAGNETIC COIN TESTER Filed Aug. 29, 1967 Sheet of 2 INVENTOR WIL SON M. STEWART BY v ATTORNEYS.

July 1, 1969 STEWART 3,452,849

MAGNETIC COIN TESTER Filed Aug. 29, 1967 Sheet 3 of 2 LEGEND -PATH OF SILVER coms --PATH OF NICKEL cows INVENTOR WILSON M. STEWART v ATTORNEYS.

US. Cl. 194101 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coin sorting apparatus for separating legitimate coins of a predetermined value, some of which contain silver while others are of all-nickel construction, from spurious coins or slugs wherein standard coin sorting apparatus is modified by the provision of second coin runways parallel to each of the existing runways into which, under the influence of magnets, all-nickel coins are drawn, the slugs and coins containing paramagnetic material continuing along the first runway and being therin sorted and the slugs and coins containing material more magnetic than nickel being sorted at one side of the aperture leading to the parallel runway into which nickel coins are drawn.

Background of the invention As a result of the diminishing supply and increased cost of silver since the end of World War II, most of the countries which formerly used silver, including Britain and the United States, have had to replace their silver coins with coins made of cupro-nickel, nickel, aluminum and other less expensive metals.

It is felt that pure nickel is by long odds the most suitable metal to replace silver in the coinage. Nickel has all the classical qualities of a good coinage material including good appearance and durability, and its suitability has been demonstrated by its use in our five cent coins.

The reason that a changeover has not yet taken place relates to the special requirements of the automatic vending machine industry. Vending and change-making machines have become an important element in the sale of certain consumer goods and services. Since any new nickel coinage would circulate side by side with the existing silver coinage for some years, it is desirable that the new nickel coins should be capable of operating interchangeably with silver coins of the same face value in automatic vending machines. The introduction of a nickel coinage would mean that most of the coin sorters now used in these machines would probably have to be replaced by sorters that are able to take both kinds of coin.

However, this creates a problem because there is no coin sorter commercially available, at present, which is capable of separating steel slugs from both nickel and silver coins of the same denomination whereby both types of coins are acceptable and the slugs are rejected.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above problem by providing an economically practical coin sorter which will accept coins minted from silver or nickel but will reject slugs fabricated from steel, copper, brass, etc.

Summary of the invention According to the invention I achieve this object by providing a coin sorting apparatus for separating legitimate coins of a predetermined value, some of which contain silver while others are of all-nickel construction, from spurious coins or slugs, said apparatus comprising means defining a first path for coins and slugs fed to the apparatus, means defining a second path branching off from said first path, said paths being in communication via an States Patent T 3,452,849 Patented July 1, 1969 aperture sufliciently large to permit passage of a coin or slug therethrough in branching off from the first to the second path, said first path being so disposed that all coins and slugs fed into said path have a natural tendency to follow said path to its end, means setting up a magnetic field in the region of said aperture strong enough to draw nickel coins through said aperture into the second path but not strong enough to halt them, while permitting slugs and coins which contain paramagnetic material to continue along the first path, means for separating legitimate silver-containing coins from spurious coins and slugs in said first path after they have passed said aperture, and means for separating legitimate nickel coins from slugs containing material more magnetic than nickel at one side of said aperture.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a coin sorter provided with the modifications necessary to enable the coin sorters presently in use to accept all-nickel coins while rejecting more magnetic slugs;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 to show the path in which silver twentyfive cent pieces travel within the apparatus;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional View similar to FIG- URE 2 but showing the path followed by an all-nickel twenty-five cent piece;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1 showing the paths in which silver and all-nickel ten-cent pieces are directed.

FIGURES 6 and 7 are fragmentary pictorial views showing the construction of a yieldable anvil that is mounted in the silver coin path for sorting silver coins from other paramagnetic coins and slugs.

Description of the preferred embodiments The coin sorter has the usual coin insert hopper 20 into which the coins are deposited and also has the usual feeler devices, for trapping washers or apertured coins and slugs, and the usual cradles for diverting the coins, according to size, from a vertical path onto downward and laterally extending runways. In none of these features have I departed from known coin sorters and there is no need, therefore, for further description thereof, apart from mentioning that the top cradle tilts on receipt therein of a twenty-five cent piece or a slug of similar size, while it permits five-cent, one-cent and ten-cent pieces to pass downwardly therethrough. Similarly, the five-cent cradle tilts on receipt of a coin of that denomination or a slug of similar size while it permits one-cent and ten-cent pieces to pass therethrough.

There is no new problem in connection with five-cent pieces, since they are already made of nickel and, therefore, I propose to utilize the same separating mechanism for five-cent pieces as is at present in use. The illustrated embodiment of my invention, however, finds application in connection with both twenty-five cent and ten-cent pieces, although in slightly different forms as will become apparent from the following description. It will be appreciated that a similar arrangement to that shown for the twenty-five cent pieces could be used in connection with fifty-cent pieces.

A twenty-five cent piece, or a slug of similar size and shape, is deposited by the cradle C in the entrance of a coin path 21 formed between two plates 22 and 23. Adjacent the entrance a small bar magnet 24 is mounted in a bracket 25 which is swingably mounted in lugs 26 formed on plate 22. An orifice 27 is formed in the plate to permit the upper free end of the magnet to project into the orifice. The opposite end of the bracket 25 has formed thereon a pendulum bob 28. Threadedly mounted in the bob 28 is a set screw 29 which is utilized to set and maintain the magnet in proper position relative to the orifice. When a slug of steel or other material more magnetic than nickel is inserted in the sorter the magnetic attraction between the magnet and the slug causes the magnet to swing inwardly to engage the slug and arrest its movement, whereby the slug is retained against the inner surface of the plate 22 until button 30 of the reject mechanism is depressed to withdraw the magnet from the slug to allow it to pass into a reject path. Such withdrawal is effected by means of a spring wire 29a having one end attached to a gate 2%, adapted to be swung outwards about pivot 290 when button 30 is depressed, and having its other end normally spaced outwards of the bob 28 but movable inwards, upon outward movement of said gate, to engage the bob and pivot the bracket 25 about lugs 26 to swing the magnet 24 outwardly. As the button 30 is depressed it swings plate 23 inwardly away from plate 22 prior to swinging gate 291: outwardly so that as the magnet is withdrawn from the slug, the latter is free to drop into a reject chute. Coins or slugs minted from silver, nickel and other materials, on the other hand, are not halted by magnet 24. Those coins and slugs, therefore, continue their downward travel on the downward and laterally extending runway 32 which forms the bottom of path 21, see FIGURES 2 and 3. The coins and slugs then pass into a magnetic field set up by a magnet 33. The magnet 33 is adjustably secured to hinge pin 34 upon which is adjustably mounted a gate 35 formed of brass or the like paramagnetic material. The gate 35 is normally within an aperture 36 and is biased inwardly towards plate 23 by a spring 37 to a position which permits passage of a coin between it and plate 23. The inward swing of the gate is limited by a tab 38 which is mounted on the gate and bears against the outer surface of plate 22. When a nickel coin enters the magnetic field created by magnet 33, it is attracted towards the magnet, causing the coin and gate 35 to swing outwardly towards the magnet the gate forming a guide wall for the coin to guide it smoothly on to downward and laterally extending runway 39, which forms the bottom of a path 21a which is parallel to but partitioned from path 21. The runway 39 terminates adjacent the left-hand side of the apparatus, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. Adjacent the left-hand end of runway 39 there is formed in plate 22 an aperture 40 which permits a coin rolling down runway 39 to re-enter path 21 and be guided into the legitimate coin acceptance channel. Secured to the inner surface of the plate 22, at the left-hand extremity of aperture 40, there is an anvil 41. The anvil 41 is hingedly mounted on securing member 42 which, as shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7, is adjustably secured to said plate 22. The anvil 41 is maintained in operative position by a weighted lever 43. Coins and slugs rolling down path 21, as known in the art, impinge upon the anvil and are sorted according to their bounce characteristics and speeds. When an all-nickel coin rolls down runway 39 the coin is diverted into aperture 40 by the inwardly sloped floor 44 of member 45, which forms the outer wall of path 21a, and a finger 46, which is secured to plate 22 and extends through a window 45a into aperture 40. The lower end of the finger 46 has formed thereon a hair-pin bend 47 which is at an angle to the plate 22 whereby a coin which comes into contact with it is deflected and enters aperture 40. The coins of silver and other paramagnetic metals are not diverted by the magnetic field of magnet 33 and, therefore, continue to roll down runway 32 where they are sorted in a well known manner by magnet 32a and anvil 41.

The path 21a is situated in relation to path 21 so that the coin sorter at present in use can be converted for the acceptance of silver and all-nickel coins without resorting to extensive redesigning of the dies and without taking up too much space.

As mentioned above, the modification to the coin sorter presently in use, to provide for acceptance of ten-cent pieces of silver and all-nickel content may be similar to that provided for the acceptance of both types of twentyfive and fifty-cent pieces. Referring to FIGURES l, 4 and 5, the downwardly and laterally extending runway 48, at present forming a part of the conventional sorter and constituting the bottom of the path 49, is utilized for the silver ten-cent pieces. Super-imposed in spaced relation on the plate 50 is a plate 51 to form a path 49a for the all-nickel coins. An aperture 52 is formed in plate 50 adjacent the right-hand end to provide communication between runway 48 and a runway 53 forming the bottom of path 49a between plates 50 and 51. Hingedly mounted in the aperture 52 on hinge pin 54 is a gate 55. The gate is biased to an inward position in the aperture by a spring 56. The inward travel of the gate is limited by a tap 56a formed thereon, which bears against plate 51 so that the gate does not obstruct path 49. Secured to hinge pin 54 is a magnet 57 which creates a magnetic field within aperture 52. The hinge pin 54, upon which magnet 57 is mounted, is adjustably secured by cap-screw 65 to plate 50 whereby the magnetic field within aperture 52 can be adjusted to the proper strength in order to attract the all-nickel coin rolling in path 49. Upon the attraction of the all-nickel coin towards the magnet 57 the gate swings outwardly towards the magnet to form a guide wall for the coin. While the strength of the magnet is sufiicient to attract the coin it is not sufiicient to arrest it but merely diverts it out of path 49 through aperture 52 and into path 4911. A second orifice 58 is formed in plate 50 adjacent the left-hand end of plate 51. The lower surface of plate 51 adjacent the orifice 58 is bent inwardly at an angle at 59 to form a ramp which cants the coin into orifice 58. The coin rolling down path 49:: is also deflected into orifice 58 by a finger 61 similar in form and function to finger 46 utilized to divert the twenty-five cent piece from one path to the other. The silver ten-cent pieces are separated from paramagnetic slugs in path 49 by magnet 32b and anvil 41b in known manner. The allnickel ten-cent pieces passing through aperture 58 follow the same path as the silver ten-cent pieces follow when they have been separated from the slugs, as is also the case with the twenty-five cent pieces.

In operation, a deflecting means forming part of the conventional sorter is swingably mounted on plate 23 so that a tongue 60 formed thereon extends through a window 62 formed in a plate 23 and bridges space 64 formed between plates 22 and 23, extending a sufiicient distance into an orifice 62a formed in plate 22 to deflect a ten-cent piece, or a spurious coin or slug of the same diameter, on to runway 48. One-cent pieces, being too large to pass through orifice 62a, impinge upon the tongue 60 to deflect it into window 62 and they fall within the space 64 between plates 22 and 23. The ten-cent piece or slug rolls down runway 48 and if it is of silver or other paramagnetic metal it continues on runway 48. If it is an allnickel coin, however, the magnet 57 diverts it into path 49a. If, on the other hand, it is a washer the usual feeler means employed in sorters traps it and it is disposed of in the usual way. If the slug or spurious coin is made of ferromagnetic metal a magnet 63, mounted on gate 2% in a similar manner to magnet 24, traps it and retains it until it is released by the depressing of button 30. In this case, withdrawal of the magnet is effected by means of a wire 63a mounted on a rigid part of the sorter to extend over the bob 63b of magnet 63. Thus, when gate 29b swings outwardly, bob 63b engages wire 63a to swing the magnet about its pivot away from the slug, allowing the latter to fall into the reject chute.

It will be appreciated that the gate 35 described in relation to the paths 21 and 21a and the gate 55 mounted between paths 49 and 49a could be dispensed with and the plate 45 or 51 extended to cover the aperture, or some similar arrangement could be provided without interfering with the magnetic field created by the magnet 33 or 57. It is also conceivable that the yielding anvil mounted in the respective paths could be relocated and be of a fixed type without altering the efiiciency of its function as a sorting device.

Furthermore, it will be obvious that the magnet 24 or 63 could be located adjacent path 21a or 49a downstream of the aperture 36 or 52 to elfect separation of the allnickel coins from steel slugs and the like which are more magnetic than nickel. The location shown on the drawings however, is preferred.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In coin sorting apparatus of the type now commonly in use in which coins and slugs roll down a runway between front and back plates and past a magnet mounted on said back plate so that their speeds on leaving the runway will be different and they may be separated, the improvements whereby the apparatus may be used in vending machines now in use to accept nickel coinage as well as the coinage presently in use, said improvements comprising means defining a second runway coplanar with said first runway but on the front of said front plate, means defining a first aperture in said front plate at the upper end of said second runway and upstream of said magnet, means setting up a magnetic field in the region of said first aperture strong enough to draw nickel coins through said first aperture and onto the second runway but not strong enough to halt them, while permitting coins and slugs which contain paramagnetic material to continue along the first runway, means for separating nickel coinage from slugs containing material more magnetic than nickel at one side of said first aperture, means defining a second aperture in said front plate at the lower end of said second runway and downstream of said magnet mounted on the back plate, and means for deflecting nickel coins through said second aperture into the normal acceptance path for coins presently in use.

2. A coin sorting apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for separating nickel coinage from slugs containing material more magnetic than nickel comprises a magnet swingably and adjustably mounted on said apparatus, to project wtihin an orifice formed in said front plate.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means setting up a magnetic field in the region of said first aperture comprises a magnet mounted on saidfront plate and a gate mounted in said first aperture, said gate and said magnet co-acting upon the entrance of a nickel coin within the magnetic field whereby said coin is attracted towards said magnet, without appreciably decelerating, said coin opening said gate and being diverted onto said second runway.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including an anvil mounted at the end of the first runway, said anvil being yieldably mounted within the periphery of said second aperture, whereby when a nickel coin rolling down said second runway is diverted through said second aperture, said anvil yields to permit passage of said nickel coin into said coin acceptance path.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,899,321 2/1933 Frye 194100X 1,907,064 5/1933 Gottfried 194-101 1,931,579 10/1933 Gilchrist et a1. 194-l01- 2,453,437 11/1948 Hokanson 19499 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

